Innovation & Technology in Transport Hub (ITT Hub) will be an annual exhibition that will take place at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre in Hampshire, home of the world-renowned Airshow. Taking place over two days each May, the first edition of the event – ITT Hub 2020 – will take place 13-14th May 2020, with a dedicated content channel launched in the run up to the inaugural event.

Speaking at a special launch event hosted at Farnborough and attended by 60 invited guests, Leon Daniels – Chairman of Binswood Media, the company behind the new event concept – outlined the rationale and the importance of ITT Hub in better serving the needs of a dynamic and rapidly changing sector that has significant economic, environmental and social impacts at a regional, national and international level.

He said, “ITT Hub 2020 will be a different kind of event for a dynamic and rapidly changing sector. Innovation and technology are both central themes in transportand they will increasingly shape future service provision at an accelerating rate. Collectively, everyone involved in the sector needs an effective annual event to understand and keep pace with the latest innovations and technologies that are now the new reality in transport.

“That’s why Innovation & Technology in Transport Hub, or ITT Hub has been launched to bring fresh ideas and forward thinking in a new event format at a new venue, delivering what the market really needs, but is not currently available today. Not only will it demonstrate what it is, it will demonstrate what it is for – namely transport, energy, digital and the disruptive forces that are already reshaping the market.

“We have a world-class venue, located less than an hour away from London, that can offer attractive, flexible and cost-effective exhibition and demonstration space both indoors and outside. Due to its size and scope for expansion, the event will also actively encourage a variety of industry and sector stakeholders to co-locate conferences, seminars, workshops and other events at Farnborough to create a ‘hub’ experience on site.

“As we use transport in an inter-connected and multi-modal way and there is an increasing convergence in the technologies required to provide such a service, ITT Hub will actively encourage exhibitors and visitors from right across the transport spectrum, rather than be defined by vehicle type. So, you can expect to see on display material handling equipment alongside buses, commercial vehicles alongside emergency service units, vans alongside coaches, drones alongside taxis, bikes alongside construction machinery, as well as battery suppliers alongside diesel driveline specialists.”

Andy Eastlake, MD of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership and one of six guest speakers at the launch, confirmed LowCVP as an Event Partner and said: “With so much focus on the car sector, it might be easy to forget the vital contribution, and huge opportunities from the HDV sector.

“LowCVP is supporting this initiative and will be aiming to show how the Government’s ‘Road to Zero’ strategy is not just for cars, and how it can stimulate a much broader portfolio of technology to decarbonise these complex transport systems.”

Leon Daniels also confirmed that a dedicated content channel – ITT Hub Net – will be created to deliver relevant and timely information to key stakeholders across a number of key transport modes.

“Transport works 365 days a year, so we believe the brand that we are launching today should work equally as hard. Therefore 12 months out from the first edition of the show in 2020, ITT Hub Net will, subject to registration, provide a free-to-access online channel providing news, insight and opinion throughout the year. This will be an important business tool for the wider transport sector, not just exhibitors and visitors to the show.

“Industry knowledge and a proven track record counts for a great deal and Binswood Media, led by CEO Mark Griffin and supported by me as Chairman, is determined to build on our collective experience and respective expertise and contacts to deliver a new and distinctive opportunity which is in tune with what the market needs and in the way the market wants it to be provided.”

Mark Griffin, CEO of Binswood Media added: “We are launching ITT Hub 2020 some 19 months ahead of the first edition in May 2020, as we know that businesses have planning horizons several years ahead.

“The Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre is a fantastic venue with immense potential and a team that is very supportive of what we are looking to achieve with our new event concept in the short, medium and longer term. By sharing our vision, as well as making exhibition space available for reservation from today onwards, we are setting out our stall so that the wider transport sector can join us on an exciting new journey, right from the outset.”